A portion of Taft Middle School evacuated for not being structurally sound

CEDAR RAPIDS — An inspection of Taft Middle School led to the evacuation of a portion of the building Wednesday because of structural instability.

In a message to families, district officials announced that as a precautionary measure, students and staff will not use the east dome of Taft Middle, at 5200 E Ave. NW — which houses the cafeteria, kitchen and performing arts classrooms — until further notice.

“While this means that we will have to relocate students to other parts of the building, these steps are necessary to ensure that our buildings are structurally sound and provide a safe learning environment for students,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said in a statement. “We appreciate the understanding and collaboration of the Taft administration, staff and families. The district is working with Taft administration to ensure the least amount of disruption to student learning.”

Taft administration and staff have created a plan for students since they are currently not able to use a portion of the building, district spokesman Justin Schaefer said in an email to The Gazette.

The east dome will not be occupied again until repairs are completed and the district receives an official notification that the use of that dome can be resumed, Taft Principal Gary Hatfield said in a message to families Wednesday.

The west dome of the school can be occupied at this time.

The findings from the inspection Tuesday by Raker Rhodes Engineering and Solum Lang Architects were provided Wednesday to the Cedar Rapids Community School District. It found that the structural component of one of the beams on the east dome has been compromised, which poses a concern over its structural integrity.

“The dome design includes 16 load-bearing beams, with considerable weight placed on each of them. Having one compromised beam can significantly impact the entire structural system of the east dome,” said Chris Gates, building and grounds manager for the school district.

The district does not yet have an estimate of how much it will cost to repair the beam, Schaefer said. A solution is being evaluated by Raker Rhodes Engineering.

District officials are hoping to have design work completed next week, and a timeline for repairs will be determined after the design, Schaefer said.

Taft Middle and Harding Middle School both were built in 1965 and share the same structural design. The structural engineering firm has determined that the three other domes — including the domes at Harding — can be occupied at this time.

The Cedar Rapids district is pursuing a $220 million general obligation bond issue heading to voters Nov. 7 that would fund improvements to its middle and high schools.

District leaders plan to take a second $225 million bond referendum to voters in November 2029. This would fund phase two of the facility plan, which includes a new sixth-eighth grade middle school built at the current Taft site.

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